1803. 
ble acquifitions have been made, the utmoft 
promptitude and zeal have been difplayed by 
the officers employed on thofe fervices, and 
by my forces a&ting under their command by 
fea and land. 
In Ireland, the leaders, and feveral inferior 
agents, in the late traiterous and atrocious 
confpiraey, have been brought to juftice 3 and 
the public tranquillity has experienced no 
further interruption. 1 indulge the hope, 
that fuch of my deluded fubjeéts as have 
{werved from their allegiance are now con- 
Vinced of their error ; and that having com- 
pared the advantages they derive from the 
protection of a free conftitution, with the con- 
dition of thofe countries which are under the 
dominion of the French government, they 
wll cordially and zealoufly concur in refitting 
any attempt that may be made againft the 
fecurity and independance of my united king- 
‘dom. 
Gentlemen of the Houfe of Commons. 
I lave a perfe&t reliance on your public 
{pirit for making fuch provifion as may be ne~ 
ceflary for the fervice of the year. The pro- 
greflive improvement of the revenue cannot 
fail to encourage you to perfevere in the 
Syftem which has been adopted, of defray- 
ing the expences of the war, with as little 
addition as poflible to the public debt, and 
to the permanent burthens of the ftate. 
I lament the heavy preflure which, under 
the prefent circumftances, muft unavoicably 
be experienced by my people; but I am pur- 
fuaded that they will meet it with the good 
fenfe and fortitude which fo eminently dif- 
tinguifh their charaéter, under a conviétion 
of the indifpenfable importance of upholding 
the dignity, and of providing effeCtually for 
the fatety of the empire. 
My Lords and Gentlemen. 
I have concluaed a convention with the 
king of Sweden, for the purpofe of adjuft- 
ing all the differences which have arifen on 
the fubje& of the eleventh article of the 
treaty of 1661. I have dircéted that a copy 
of this convention fhould be laid before you; 
and you will, I truft, be of opinion that the 
agrangement, whiit it upbolss our maritime 
rights, is founded on thofe pri: ciples of re- 
ciprocal advantage which are bett calculated 
to maintain and improve the good underftand - 
ing which happily fubGifts between the two 
countries. 
In the profecution of the conteft in which 
we are engaged, it fhall be, as it has ever 
been, my firft obje& to execute as hecomes 
me, the great truft committed to my charge. 
Embarked with my brave and loyal people in 
gne common caufe, it is my fixed determina- 
tion, if the occafion fhould arife, to thare their 
, @xertions and gheir dangers in the defence of 
State of Publie Affairs in November, 1505. 
475 
our conftitution, our religion, our laws, and 
independance. To the a¢tivity and valour of 
my fleets and armies, to the zeal and uncon+ 
querable fpirit of my faithful fubjects, 1 con 
fide the honour of my crown, and all thefe 
valuable interefts which are involved in the 
iffue of this momentous contett. 
ACuated by thefe fentiments, and humbly 
imploring the blefiing of Divine Providence, 
I look forward with a firm convi@tion, that 
if, contrary to all juft expectation, the ene- 
my fhould elude the vigilance of my nume- 
rous Heets and cfuizers, and attempt to cxe- 
cute their prefumptuous threat of invading 
our coafts, the confequence will be to them 
difcomfiture, conftalion, and difgrace; and 
that our’s will not only be.the glory of fur- 
mounting prefent difficulties, and repelling 
immediate danger, but the folid and perma- 
nent advantage of fixing the fafety and inde- 
pendance of the kingdom on the bafis of ace 
knowledged ttrength, the refult of his own 
tried. energy and refources, 
FRANCE. 
In France, the Confular Government 
rules the people by the awe of military 
power, treats its foreign allies with con- 
tempt or infolent oppreffion, and menaces 
conqueft and utter ruin to all whomay dare 
to meet is hoility. Moreau, hitherto 
viewed as the rival of Bonaparte, has lately 
become a member of the Legion of Honour. 
About 12,000 tioops have been encamped 
at Cherbourg. At St. Maloes, a fmall thi 
of war has been built, in which it is faid, 
the Finft Conful will himfelf fail. -Two 
hundred fifhing-boats are in readinefs at 
Oltend, to be employed astranf{ports in 
the threatened defcent upon England. On 
aceount of the extenfion of the French 
frontiers, or far fome other reafon, the 
fortifications of Bruffels, Louvain, Dieft, 
Tirlemont, Ghent, Axel, Lerneufe, &c. 
are about to be demolilhed. Two thoue 
find men are conftantly at work in im- 
provements on the harbour of Boulogne. 
‘The preparations of the French !or farther 
conqueft, are now extremely active in Han- 
over. All the refources of that country, 
hitherto unconfumed, are for this end again 
Jaid under contribution. In that quars 
ter, too, the French threaten to feize the 
imperial city of Lubeck which has be- 
come of late one of the emporia for Bri- 
tifh merchandize. ‘They demand a loan 
trom Hamburg; and ic is fuppoled, that, 
after extorting as much money as pofs 
ble from the merchants, they will at laft 
poffefs themselves of the city itfelf. The 
Firft Contul has lately pafled, on a 
journey 
